Alpheus bengalensis Coutière, 1905
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| Original Description | Alpheus paracrinitus var. bengalensis Coutière, 1905: 91, pl. 82, fig. 37. |
| Classification | Arthropoda: Crustacea: Malacostraca: Decapoda: Alpheidae. |
| Synonymy | Alpheus paracrinitus bengalensis Coutière, 1905. |
| Type Locality | Minikoy, Laccadives (Lakshadweep) (symbol  on the map). |
| Type Material | MNHN 3196, 3197, in ethanol, in reasonably good condition, both missing minor chelipeds. |
| Common Name | Bengali snapping shrimp. |
| Taxonomic Status | Valid, currently synonym of A. paracrinitus; status will be confirmed by Anker et al. (in prep.). |
| Geographic Distribution | Tropical Indo-West Pacific [IWP]: Red Sea and N Indian Ocean to Taiwan, Singapore and Hawaii (see map). |
| Frequency | Relatively common in suitable habitats. |
| Habitat | Sand-rock-rubble bottoms, usually close to reefs. |
| Depth Range | Intertidal and shallow subtidal to about 15 m. |
| Life History and Behavior | Free-living, usually in pairs, under rocks and in crevices of corals, coralline algae conglomerates and coral rubble. |
| Related Species | Alpheus paracrinitus Miers, 1881 [WA-CA-EA]; A. "subparacrinitus" (Anker et al., in prep.) [WA]; A. aff. paracrinitus (Anker, pers. obs.) [IWP]; A. "coeruleocinctus" Anker et al., in prep. [EA]; A. rostratus Kim and Abele, 1988 [EP]; A. "geminirostratus" Anker et al., in prep. [WA]; A. "pararostratus" Anker et al., in prep. [EA]; A. aff. rostratus (Anker, pers. obs.) [IWP]; A. alpheopsides Coutière, 1905 [IWP]; A. paralpheopsides Coutière, 1905 [IWP]; A. tenuipes De Man, 1910 [IWP]; A. mitis Dana, 1852 [IWP]. Alpheus bengalensis may be separated from all these species by the yellow color pattern (see comparison photos.) and by the second pereiopod with first and second carpal segments being subequal (vs. first much longer than second in the other species) (see also under A. paracrinitus). |
| Size | Body length to about 15 mm. |
| Color Pattern | See photo. |
| Molecular Barcode | Unavailable. |
| Remarks | The photographed specimen from Taiwan was compared to the original description of A. bengalensis in Coutière (1905) and found to agree with it in all important points. |
| Major References | Coutière, 1905 [original description and illustrations]; Holthuis, 1958 [records in N Red Sea]; Banner, 1953 [Hawaii records, illustrations, as Crangon paracrinita var. bengalensis]; Crosnier and Forest, 1966 [comparison with E Atlantic material]; Banner and Banner, 1982 [synonymy discussion, as A. paracrinitus]; Anker et al., in prep. [establishement of taxonomic status, revision of A. paracrinitus complex]. |